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Thursday, November 17, 2011

European Parliament Passes Resolution Against Military Trials

Press release

Strasbourg, November 17th 2011
MEPs demand immediate end of military trials in Egypt

Member of European Parliament Marietje Schaake (ALDE/D66) today joined the voices of numerous Egyptians who made a clear and urgent appeal to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). The resolution of the European Parliament asks to: "Immediately lift the emergency laws, stop the military trials of civilians today and release all political prisoners to prove you are not the Mubarak regime in disguise." The European Parliament today unanimously condemned the increasingly repressive behavior by Egypt's military rulers and urgently called upon the SCAF to show unconditional respect for the Egyptians' fundamental rights and freedoms.

The European Parliament pays special attention to the cases of prominent activist Alaa Abd El Fattah and blogger Maikel Nabil. "These two men are the symbols of what has become a systematic all-out intimidation campaign by the military against against free speech and other human rights of citizens", Schaake said. The Parliament also supports the repeated call by Egyptians for an independent investigation into the 'Maspero violence', which to date has not started. MEPs urged the EU’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to be more outspoken in conveying the Parliament's concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in Egypt and the increasingly repressive SCAF. MEPs welcomed the decision by the SCAF to allow international observers to witness the upcoming parliamentary elections but also asked for proper election observation.